Charles Hillman

Dr. Hillman received his doctorate from the University of Maryland in 2000, and then began his career on the faculty at the University of Illinois, where he was a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health for 16 years. He continued his career at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, where he currently holds appointments in the Department of Psychology and the Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences. He co-directs the new Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, which has the mission of understanding the role of health behaviors on brain and cognition to maximize health and well-being, and promote the effective functioning of individuals across the lifespan. Dr. Hillman has published more than 225 refereed journal articles, 12 book chapters, and co-edited a text entitled Functional Neuroimaging in Exercise and Sport Sciences. He has served on an Institute of Medicine of the National Academies committee entitled Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School, and was a member of the 2018 Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines for American’s Scientific Advisory Committee. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), and several private sponsors. Finally, his work has been featured in the media including: CNN, National Public Radio, Good Morning America, Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of Maryland (2000)
• M.S., University of Florida (1997)
• B.A., University of Miami (1994)

Specialization:

Cognitive and Brain Health, kinesiology, cognitive neuroscience, psychology, neuroimaging

Research:

Professor Hillman is the Associate Director of the Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, where ongoing research employs neuroimaging, computational, and behavioral tools to investigate the relationship between health and lifestyle behaviors (e.g., physical activity, cognitive training, diet) and/or their physiological sequelae (e.g., cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass/adiposity) on cognitive and brain outcomes. His research investigates cognitive and brain health across the lifespan, with ongoing research in preadolescent children, young adults, and older adults. He uses a variety of neuroimaging tools to assess brain structure and function, including MRI/fMRI, high density EEG/ERPs, and eye-tracking measures. The overall goal of his research is to determine lifestyle factors that influence cognitive and brain health across the lifespan, and to better understand the mechanisms and processes by which health and lifestyle behaviors improve cognition.

Selected Publications:

• 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018.
• Raine, L. B., Khan, N. A., Drollette, E. S., Pontifex, M. B., Kramer, A. F., & Hillman, C. H. (2017). Obesity, visceral adipose tissue, and cognitive function in childhood. The Journal of Pediatrics, 187, 134-140.
• Donnelly, J. E., Hillman, C. H., Castelli, D. M., Etnier, J. L., Lee, S. M., Tomporowski, P., Lambourne, K., & Szabo-Reed, A. N. (2016). Physical activity, fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children: A systematic review: American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48, 1197-1222.
• Hillman, C. H., Pontifex, M. B., Castelli, D. M., Khan, N. A., Raine, L. B., Scudder, M. R., Drollette, E. S., Moore, R. D., Wu, C.-T., Pindus, D. M., & Kamijo, K. (2014). Effects of the FITKids randomized controlled trial on executive control and brain function in children. Pediatrics, 134, 1063-1071.
• Kamijo, K., Pontifex, M. B., Khan, N. A., Raine, L. B., Scudder, M. R., Drollette, E. S., Evans, E. M., Castelli, D. M., & Hillman, C. H. (2014). The negative association of childhood obesity to the cognitive control of action monitoring. Cerebral Cortex, 24, 654-662.
• Chaddock-Heyman, L., Erickson, K. I., Voss, M. W., Knecht, A. M., Pontifex, M. B., Castelli, D. M., Hillman, C. H., & Kramer, A. F. (2013). The effects of physical activity on functional MRI activation associated with cognitive control in children: a randomized controlled intervention. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 1-13.
• Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9, 58-65.